Time element electroresponsivi device



June 26, 1934.

C. HATAY TIME BLE MEN T ELECTRORESPONSIVE DEVICE Filed Aug. 25. 1931 2Sheets-Sheet 1 IO {I S) H Inventor". Charles Hobag,

His Acbor'neg.

June 26, 193.4. c. HATAY 4 1,964,574

TIME ELEMENT ELECTRORESPONSIVE DEVICE Filed Aug. 25, 19:1 2 Sheets-Shet2 Inventor: Charles Habag,

be Climb His Atborheg.

Patented June 1934 UNITED STATES LliMJi'M run: ELEMENT mc'rnoimsronsmDEVICE Charles Hatay, Berlin-Charlottenburg, Germany,

asaignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New YorkApplication In Germany August 25,1931, Serial No. 559,330

September 5, 1930 8 Claims. (Cl. 200-97) My invention. relates toimprovements in time element electroresponsive devices and moreparticularly time element relays for controlling electric circuits. Anobject of my invention is to 1 provide a comparatively simple timeelement electroresponsive device which is quickly and the lapse of acertain time following the instant,

of their response are frequently driven by a motor through a high ratiogearing. For further 16 service after an operation in the case ofcertain known constructions, it'is necessary to resetthe driven contact.For this purpose a relatively great expenditure of energy is necessarybecause of the high ratio transmission gearing. The con-- 20 tact memberor its intermediate driving members have, therefore, previously beenconnected with the motor drive by'means of a detachable coupling so thatthe contact member could be reset alone or only with a small portion ofthe gearing. These detachable coupling members have, however, frequentlycaused trouble since with the small power available for relay purposesand with the small permissible expenditure in material and space theycannot be made to work so with certainty. These couplings also introducemore or less time error before they become effective.

These disadvantages are avoided according to my invention in that notthe contact connected '86 with the time mechanism but the contact whichis not driven thereby is, after each response, automatically moved awayfrom the driven contact into the reset position. necessary for anothercontacting operation. This is suitably ef- 40 fected in that, upon theresponse of the relay-{5 th contacts are first moved the same amountfrom their initial position without changing their mutual positioningand that the contact which is under the influence of the time mechanismis then moved to the other contact until their engagement is effectedand that the latter, upon deenergizing of the relay system, is finallyreturned to the initial position by suitable means. My invention will bebetter understood from the following description when considered inconnection with the accompanying drawings and its-scope will be pointedout in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figs. 1, 3 and I 1 4 illustrate inelevation an electroresponsive device embodying my invention, the partsbeing shown in the diiferent figures in different operating positions ofthe device and Fig. 2 represents a plan view of the device partly insection with the parts positioned as shown in Fig. 4.

Figs. 1-4 illustrate an embodiment of my invention in. anelectroresponsive device, such as an electromagnet 1, including tworelatively movable spaced cooperating members shown as contacts l0 and12, means operative upon energization of the electroma'gnet quickly tomove both, of the contacts a predetermined amount from an initial orrest position shown in Fig. 1 without changing their mutual positioningto the position shown in Fig. 3, means such as a motor and gearmechanism 4, 7 for then moving one of the contacts 10 relatively to theother to effect their cooperative relation which, as shown, is a circuitclosing operation with the parts in position as shown in Fig. 4andmeans, such as a spring 3, for quickly restoring "the contacts totheir initial position.

In the air gap of the electromagnet l which has an exciting winding 5,an armature 2 is movably arranged. The armature 2 may comprise, asshown, two iron halves which form atttheir junction a hollow cylinderfor receiving the motor rotor 4 and are held together by non-magneticpieces 20. As shown in Fig. 2, the armature 2 has firmly secured in itscylindrical opening a non-magnetic bushing 21 which is itself rigidlyconnected to the casing of the gear mechanism 'l. The armature 2 andcasing 7 thus firmly connected together are rotatably mounted in frames22 and 23 which may be secured to the magnet l as shown. In the sameaxis of rotation is mounted the rotor 4 which, as shown, is formed asashort-circuited cage. The shaft of the rotor 4 is connected with theshaft of the gearing 7 whose end shaft 8 transmits the movement througha friction coupling 11 to a contact arm 9 which carries the contact 10.The contact 12 is mounted for positive movement with the arclockwisemovement to the attracted position,

may be limited by an adjustable stop 26. For limiting the movement ofthe contact arm 9,

adjustable stops 13 and 14 may be provided, as shown.

Assuming now that the parts are positioned in the initial or restposition, shown in Fig. 1. Then, when the winding 5 is energized by acurrent sufilcient to move the armature 2 to the attracted position, thearmature, together with the contacts 10 and 12 is moved into theposition shown in Fig. 3 and the reluctance of the magnetic circuitbecomes a minimum. The resultant magnetic field traversing the armature2 forms the exciting field of the rotor 4. This may be provided withspecial short-circuiting rings 6 which are arranged on both halves ofthe armature 2 and serve, in a manner well known to the art, forproducing a field suiiicient to start the short-circuited rotor 4'.Under this influence the rotor 4 starts and through the gear mechanism 7sets in motion the contact arm 9 so that it moves toward the contact 12and comes into engagement therewith after the lapse of a time dependenton the speed of the rotor, the gear ratios and the separation of thecontacts 10 and 12 and the parts are positioned as shown in Fig. 4.Obviously, the relay may be used wherever time delay action is desired,as for example in the control of circuit breakers and the like.

-By changing the position of the stop 14, the time element can beadjusted as desired. The friction coupling 11 between the contact arm 9and the gear shaft 8 permits the armature 2 to take the ppsitionindicated in Figs. 3 and 4 if the contact arm 9 is already held by thestop 14 so that the, angle between the arm 9 and the armature 2 isdecreased with respect to the initial position. If the magnet 1 remainsenergized after the contact engagement, then the friction coupling 11allows the rotor 4 to continue to run even though the contact arm '9 isfirmly held. After the winding 5 has been deenergized, the spring 3quickly retracts the armature to the initial position against the stop25 as shown in Fig. 1 and thus brings the contact 12 into the requiredposition for another operation.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that in place of thealternating current magnet and motor shown in the illustrated embodimentof my invention, a D. C. magnet and motor may be used. In such caseleads to the direct current armature will be necessary.

The invention may be so applied that the casing of the driving motor isfixed and itself carries the short-circuited winding, then with theconnection of the field winding, the rotor is set in motion and bringsthe contact arm 9 into connection with the contact 12. After thedisconnection of the motor, the contact 12 is moved along an arc of acircle by means of a pawl mechanism or by means of a second electricmotor into another operating position. After responding several times,therefore, both contacts 10 and 12 will have described a completecircle.

It is also possible that the exciting magnetic circuit of the rotor ofthe motor does not close in response to increase of current or voltageeven under the influence of the exciting winding but that a mechanicallycoupled switching-in magnet is used for this purpose. This arrangementis suitable, for example, when the time element re.

lay is constructed as an overcurrent time .ele; ment relay but is torespond only on a decrease of the system voltage. In this case themechanical switching-in may be accomplished by a potential diflerence orundervoltage magnet while the exciting fleld of the motor, is fed by thesystem current. The invention, besides being used with electricallydriven time mechanisms, may also be used with mechanically driven timemechanisms which are set in operation by a spring motor. The springmotor, which is built into the armature 2, is in this case wound up bythe movement of the armature and supplies its energy to a time elementgearing, such as a clockwork or a magnetic eddy current device which, asin the illustrated embodiment of the invention, drives the contact arm,through a friction coupling. Since the spring used as the energystoring device can only be tensioned intermittently with each responseof the rotary armature, the connection of the armature with the springmay be effected through a ratchet wheel gearing.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is:-- 4

l. A time element electroresponsive device including two relativelymovable cooperating members, means operative upon a predeterminedenergization of said device for quicklymoving both of said members apredetermined amount from an initial position without changing theirmutual positioning and means for then moving one of the membersrelatively to the other to effect their cooperative relation.

2. A time element electroresponsive device including two relativelymovable cooperating members, means operative upon a predeterminedenergization of said device ior quickly moving both of said members apredetermined amount from an initial position without changing theirmutual positioning and means for then moving one of the membersrelatively to the other to effect their cooperative relation and meansfor quickly restoring said members to their initial position.

3. A time element relay including an electromagnet having an armature, acontact mounted on said armature for positive movement therewith, aspaced cooperating contact mounted for movement with said armature whenthe armature is moved to the attracted position, means operative whenthe electromagnet is energized and after the armature has been actuatedto the attracted position to move said cooperating contact relatively tothe armature for engagement with the contact mounted thereon and meansfor separating said contacts operative to restore the armature to itsunattracted position when-the electromagnet is deenergized.

4. A time element relay including an electromagnet having an armature,two relatively movable spaced cooperating contacts mounted for movementwith said armature, one of said contacts being positively secured to thearmature, a gear mechanism for moving the other contact relatively tothe contact secured to the armature, a friction coupling between saidmechanism and said other contact, motor means associated with saidarmature operative when the electromagnet is energized and after thearmature has been actuated to the attracted positionto actuate said gearmechanism whereby to move said other contact toward the contact securedto the armature to efle'ct the circuit closing operation of the contactsand resilient means tor quickly restoring said contacts to their initialpositioning when the electromagnet is deenergized.

5. A time element electroresponsive device including an electromagnethaving an armature. two relatively movable cooperating members mountedfor movement with said armature one of means said members beingpositively secured to the armature and the other movable relativelythereto and both 01 said members being movable without changing theirrelative positioning upon movement of said armature to the attractedposition, means operative when the electromagnet is energized and afterthe armature has been actuated to the attracted position to move saidother member toward the memberpositively secured to the armature wherebyto eii'ect the cooperative relation of the members and means for quicklyseparating said members operative to restorethe armature to itsunattracted position when the electromagnet is deenergized.

6 A time element relay including an electromagnet having an armature,two relatively movable spaced cooperating contacts mounted for movementwith said armature. one 0! said contacts being positively secured to thearmature and the other loosely coupled theretoand both oi said contactsbeing movable without changing their relative positioning upon movementof said armature to the attracted position. motor means associated withsaid armature operative when the electromagnet is energized and afterthe armature has been actuated to the attracted position to move saidother contact toward the contact positively secured to the armaturewhereby to eflect a circuit closing operation of the contacts. and

tacts being positively secured to the armature, a I

mechanism for moving the other contact relatively to the contact securedto the armature. means for coupling said mechanism and said othercontact arranged to permit relative movement therebetween, meansoperative when the eiectromagnet is energized and the armature is in theattracted position for actuating said mechanism whereby to move saidother contact relatively to the armature and means for quickly restoringsaid contacts to their initial positioning when the electromagnet isdeenergized.

8. A time element electroresponsive device including two relativelymovable cooperating members and means operative upon a predeterminedZ'e'nergization of said device quickly to move both or said members apredetermined amount from an initial position without changing theirmutual positioning and then to move one of the members relatively to theother to eil'ect their cooperative relation.

CHARLES HA'I'AY.

